The invention relates to a contact element, in one embodiment to a contact element for use in a power semiconductor module.
Power semiconductor modules have a metalized circuit carrier that has to be electrically conductively connected to further components, for example, to a driving unit, or to a flat conductor such as e.g., a stripline. The connection technology used for this purpose is intended to be simple and inexpensive to produce and, moreover, to have a sufficient long-term stability in the context of mechanical stresses and vibrations that occur. For this purpose, the connection technology can have contact elements that are soldered onto a metallization of the circuit carrier.
There is general need to provide a contact element which fulfills the abovementioned properties and which enables reliable and simple soldering. A further general need is to provide a power semiconductor module and also a circuit arrangement having a power semiconductor module which can be electrically contact-connected in a simple manner by using a contact element.
For these and other reasons, there is a need for the present invention.